Mobile device use has become near-ubiquitous, with only a small fraction of individuals not carrying at least one mobile device such as a PDA, a smart phone, a Blackberry, a tablet computer, an iTouch device, a palmtop computer, a mobile gaming system, etc. In addition to carrying one or more mobile devices, individuals must also carry other everyday person items such as credit cards, keys, etc., and non-everyday items such as airplane boarding passes, concert tickets, etc.
In recent years, efforts have been made to consolidate these items into mobile devices. For example, a bar code displayed on a mobile phone can now be used in lieu of a printed hard-copy boarding pass. This mobile boarding pass technology is generally secure, however, it requires that the device have Internet connectivity. That is, the current technology requires a secure input (e.g., traveler access airline website) and a secure output (e.g., cloud transmission of a unique bar code to traveler's mobile device). While there have been no documented false entries to an air terminal, on-the-spot manual traveler authentication or identification is still required (i.e., airline personnel need to double check the traveler's photo ID to ensure proper identification).
Other efforts to consolidate cards or tickets into mobile devices simply require display of the bar code on a mobile device to access an account. For example, a user with the electronic Starbuck's loyalty card merely needs to display the bar code on the mobile device in order to access the user's pre-paid account. No other verification is required. That is, money is already registered securely in an account on the Starbuck's website and thus, anyone finding the mobile device can order a latte.
Consequently, many mobile transactions are not secure, and the mobile transactions that are secure currently require manual security and/or network capabilities that cannot be easily adapted to most current systems. For example, smart phones (i.e., phones with network capabilities such as, for example, internet access and or text capability) are required to facilitate current secure transactions. Accordingly, a need exists for a system that overcomes the above problems, as well as one that provides additional benefits.
Overall, the examples herein of some prior or related systems and their associated limitations are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of existing or prior systems will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the following.